DirectorDavid Lynchisn’t letting one rejection kill hisSnootworld. In a recent conversation withDeadline, the iconic filmmaker shared that Netflix had rejected his pitch for an animated feature.Snootworldis a collaboration between Lynch and Caroline Thompson, whose creditsinclude writingThe Nightmare Before Christmas, The Corpse Bride, andWelcome to Marwen.Thompson scribed Acts One and Three ofSnootworld, while Lynch completed Act Two. The feature has been two decades in the making.
Lynch and Thompson are currently seeking financial backing for the film afterNetflixturned down the “fairytale.”
“I don’t know when I started thinking about Snoots but I’d do these drawings of Snoots and then a story started to emerge,” Lynch shared. “I got together with Caroline and we worked on a script. Just recently I thought someone might be interested in getting behind this so I presented it to Netflix in the last few months but they rejected it.”
Lynch offered a theory as to why the streamer rejected the feature: Simply put, “it’s a different world.”
“‘Snootworld’is kind of an old fashioned story and animation today is more about surface jokes. Old fashioned fairytales are considered groaners: apparently people don’t want to see them. It’s a different world now and it’s easier to say no than to say yes.”
David Lynch & Caroline Thompson’s ‘Wacky’ Snootworld
So, what exactly is a “Snoot”? While Lynch and Thompson may be very clear about that, the rest of us are in the dark. Luckily, Thompson sheds some light, telling the publication:
“The Snoots are these tiny creatures who have a ritual transition at aged eight at which time they get tinier and they’re sent away for a year so they are protected. The world goes into chaos when the Snoot hero of the story disappears into the carpet and his family can’t find him and he enters a crazy, magnificent world”.
There is no word yet on whether Lynch will be at the helm of the animated feature. While his hope was that his daughter, Jennifer Lynch (Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story)would direct, she has"so many things in the pipeline that she ultimately thought it would be better for me or someone else to direct it."
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Renowned for his dreamlike films and forco-creating the iconicTwin Peaks, David Lynch has garnered critical acclaim throughout his career. Academy Award nominations forThe Elephant Man, Blue Velvet,andMulholland Drive, along with earning the prestigious Palme d’Or forWild at Heart, solidify his achievements. This recognition bodes well for the Snoots finding a home, and their way to our screens.
“I like this story. It’s something that children and adults can both appreciate… I’ve never really done a straight animation but with computers today it’s possible to do some spectacular things,” Lynch says.
Describing the story, Thompson said something thatshouldn’t surprise any Lynch fan…
“It takes my breath away how wacky it is.”
While the streamer may have shot downSnootworld,Lynch’s 2017 short filmWhat Did Jack Do?is available on Netflix.
